The music is safe with him
Interview : Dan Prince
Hey Alex welcome back to DMCWORLD – where in the world are you right now, still Stateside with Zedd?
“Hey Dan, currently in Portland. Week 5 of an intense 6 week tour. 31 shows done!”
Where have been the stand out gigs for you on this current tour?
“Orlando was awesome. Definite standout. But we haven’t had a bad show. All have been great fun. The crowds have had so much energy.”
The US scene seems to be opening up a little now after the huge EDM explosion, the kids are discovering different avenues of dance music such as trance and house. Loved a quote from you recently, “don’t see what the point is in sitting in the studio and being snotty about it. Fucking get on a plane, go to America and play them some different music and you can have a part in changing things and showing them other stuff, you know? How is the scene developing over there in your opinion?
“I feel like this new audience that have swept into the scene are very quickly opening up to new sounds and things that are different from the straight up EDM they have been hearing. I’m enjoying getting to play records they have never heard before every night. I feel right now sounding different is a good thing out here. I’ve managed to play disco, house, techno and more banging stuff too. It’s been great.”
Massive new track ripping it up everywhere, your collaboration with Jacques Lu Cont and Malin ‘Safe With You’. It was previewed back in May via Annie Mac on Radio 1 spinning a world exclusive dub mix, now it’s coming out this week in all it’s vocal glory. Talk us therough the history of the track…
“It was a while in the making. Me and Stuart met through a mutual friend then pretty quickly got in the studio after that. We jumped between his studio and mine for a few sessions then got it to Malin. I guess the process took about a year. It was a great experience and something I have always wanted to do. Stuart was and is a big inspiration for me musically.”
Must have been amazing to work with Stuart, how did you two get on in the studio with Monsieur Le Cont, what did you learn from the experience…
“I think the main thing I took from it was that no matter how successful you are when you are in the studio with so move its a very open playing field creatively. It could have been daunting working with someone like Stuart but wasn’t at all. Both our ideas were valid and the creative process was really smooth. I loved it.”
Tell us about that tap on the shoulder moment whilst you were playing your remix of The Whip’s ‘Secret Weapon’ in a club…
“It was a remix I had intended to sound like Stuart Price meets LCD Soundsystem in my head. Stuart had come to the gig with me when I first played it. As soon as it came on he tapped on the shoulder to find out what it was. A strange moment!”
Bringing Malin on board was an inspired decision, how much of Jacques’ remix of Royksopp influenced that decision?
“Mostly because of my remix for Niki and The Dove, we both played it a lot and loved her voice. But from my side there was definitely a nod to that remix of Stuart’s. I knew a Scandinavian tone like that sounds great over Stuart’s production.”
We were in the crowd at HARD, thought Julio Bashmore going on before you worked perfectly. What goes through your head when a DJ is spinning before you who completely bangs the crap out of it?
“It’s the worst feeling! One I’ve faced far too many times. Props to Hard for programming that stage so well. Not always like that. Following Julio was awesome, I got to pick up where he left off then take the energy up again. That stage was brilliant the whole weekend. You go to an event like hard and you see how the US scene is changing.”
What is the current top 5 you are spinning…
Alex Metric & Jacques Lu Cont – Safe With You (Marcus Marr Remix)
London Grammar – ?? – Jonas Rathsman Remix
The Preatures – Is This How You Feel? – Classic Remix
Hot Natured – Magic Carpet Ride (Jacques Lu Cont Remix)
Tiga vs Audion – Lets Go Dancing
Anthem of the summer?
Marcus Marr – ‘The Music’ is my anthem of the year!
Who are some of the producers out there you are giving high fives to at the moment?
“Love everything Marcus Marr does. Kolombo is consistently great too recently. Play lots of his stuff.”
What DJ would you actually pay to see in 2013?
“I want to see this James Murphy & Soulwax project “Despacio” so much. That I would pay to see.”
So we come back to yours after the gig, what are some of the Back To Mine tunes you play us to mellow the groove…?
“I’m actually going to put a mix on Soundcloud in the next few days I did while on this tour. It’s exactly that vibe. I’ve called it “Bunk Jams” as it’s all the stuff I’ve been listening to when not DJing. Wait till then to see!”
Cool! And finally, what is coming out next from your Bat Cave…?
“Figuring that out. I have a few new tracks ready. Not sure weather it will be an EP or a standalone single yet. Me and Yuksek have also started a new project together. The A Side is done. We just need to finish the B Side. Hope that will appear before the year is out.”
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